Piet Oudolf may be the most famous garden designer in the world, but his projects are surprisingly accessible. As he has worked on many public realm developments, plenty of his landscapes can be visited for free or as part of the admission for another attraction.
He is renowned for his planting plans and particularly the new perennial style, all of which can be seen at many of the places below. From New York's High Line to a garden surrounding a museum in Sweden and from a collaborative project in Korea to gardens closer to home in The Netherlands, Piet has worked all over the world.
Here, we round up 17 of his projects that are open to the public, so you can add them to your travel itineraries.
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17 Piet Oudolf gardens to visit
USA
The High Line - New York
One of the most famous of Piet Oudolf's planting projects - the High Line in New York is inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew wild for 25 years after trains stopped running here. The gardens are continuously cared for by skilled gardeners, creating different moods and compisitions with the changing of the seasons.
Open Daily, April 1 - November 30 7am-10pm; December 1 - March 31: 7am - 8pm Admission Free
For more info, visit thehighline.org
Lurie Garden - Chicago
The Lurie Garden in Chicago is an urban oasis for the city - combining naturalistic planting and ecologically sensitive maintenance practices in the southeast corner of Millennium Park. The Lurie Garden provides a habitat for a range of city wildlife and plants as well as showcasing Chicago. The design pays homage to the city's transformation from flat marshland to a city heralded for investing in green spaces.
Open Daily, 6am-9pm Admission Free
For more info, visit luriegarden.org
Oudolf Garden Detroit
This three-acre public garden surrounds the Nandy Brown Peace Carillon on Belle Isle, a Michigan state park on the Detroit River. The space is divided into four distinct areas: the Main Garden, the Rain Garden, the Native Meadows and the Bird Border. Filled with grasses and perennials, the garden is a peaceful space for both people and wildlife.
Open Daily, from dawn to dusk Admission Free
For more info, visit oudolfgardendetroit.org
The Oudolf Garden at Planting Fields - New York
Opened this autumn, The Oudolf Garden at Planting Fields is one of the latest projects completed by Piet. The new garden on Long Island celebrates the seasons and adds a new experience to Planting Fields - a private estate established in the 1910s - and is Piet's first new public garden in New York for over a decade.
Open Daily, 9am-5pm Admission Free
For more information, visit plantingfields.org
UK
Oudolf Field at Hauser & Wirth - Somerset
Piet Oudolf transformed this blank rectangular plot surrounding the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Somerset into a colourful perennial meadow. It opened in 2014 and still looks just as good today - laid out in 17 curving, interlocking beds, there is a lovely journey through the space.
Open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am-4pm Admission Free (donations are encouraged)
For more information, visit hauserwirth.com
The Oudolf Landscape at RHS Garden Wisley - Surrey
Piet originally created a landscape at RHS Garden Wisley more than 20 years ago - but has recently redesigned it using 36,000 perennials of over 160 species. Situated between the Viewing Mount and The Glasshouse Landscape, the Oudolf Landscape opened in May 2024.
Open Monday - Friday 10am-4.30pm ; Saturday and Sunday, 9am-4.30pm Admission (for full site including the Oudolf Landscape) From £14.40 (free for RHS members)
For more information, visit rhs.org.uk
Rivers of Grass & Floral Labyrinth at Trentham Estate - Staffordshire
Designed by Piet Oudolf in 2004 as part of a wider redevelopment, these iconic planting schemes invite visitors to wander through swathes of grasses and perennial borders that are still thriving today. There are two distinct areas for visitors to explore. The Rivers of Grass contains broad sweeps of grasses with a few perennials dotted through - this area changing with the weather and the light and is a great place to pause. The Floral Labyrinth offers more drama and colour, with perennials planted across 30 individual beds with spring bulbs giving way to a perennial display that peaks in mid-summer.
Open Times vary by time of year and ticket type, check website for further details Admission From £8.92 (when booked in advance)
For more info, visit trentham.co.uk
Scampston Hall and Walled Gardens - North Yorkshire
Piet Oudolf created an entire scheme in the walled garden at Scampston Hall. Each garden room has a distinctive character in Piet's design, from pillars of yew in the Silent Garden to swathes of grasses. There is also a Perennial Meadow to enjoy and a viewpoint on the Mount to see the whole scheme.
Open 1 April - 1 November, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm Admission £12.50
For more information, visit scampston.co.uk
Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe - Norfolk
Packed with over 150 species of shrubs, grasses and climbers, the Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe is an ode to nature. Launched in the summer of the year 2000 and reimagined in 2010, it has been a part of the gardens for over 20 years and visitors are treated to a rich tapestry of colour, varied planting and all the wildlife that this attracts.
Open Varied opening times throughout the year Admission £10.95
For more information, visit pensthorpe.com
Planting Ribbon of South Park Plaza at the Olympic Park - London
Part of the Olympic Park developed for London 2012, Piet designed the Planting Ribbon in the South Park Plaza. Tall textural grasses and clump-forming perennials create a design full of complex colours and architectural forms that hold their own throughout the seasons.
Open Daily Admission Free
Europe
Vlinderhof - The Netherlands
This public garden in the Máximapark in Vleuten, near Utrecht, began in 2014 thanks to an initiative by local residents. Around 15,000 plants in 19 beds are cared for by around 40 volunteers aged from nine to 80 years. The garden sits within the quirky Máximapark, the brainchild of landscape architect Adriaan Geuze.
Open Daily, sunrise to sunset. Admission Free
For more information, visit vlinderhof.com
Voorlinden - The Netherlands
Museum Voorlinden connects people, art, nature and architecture. Piet Oudolf designed the garden that wraps around three sides of the museum – a work of art in itself with over 60 species of perennials and ornamental grasses.
Open Daily, 11am to 5pm. Admission Free
For more information, visit voorlinden.nl
The Oudolf Garden at Vitra Campus - Germany
This garden on the campus of Swiss furniture makers Vitra in Weil am Rhein, Germany, is open to the public. The garden opened in 2021 and covers about 4,000 square metres and filled with around 30,000 plants. It links the buildings at the northern and southern parts of the campus, including a showroom designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the Vitra Design Museum, a gallery, interiors studio, shops and cafés. The site is designed around a series of paths that wind through immersive, seasonal planting.
Open Daily, 10am – 6pm. Admission Free
For more information, visit vitra.com
Gräflicher Park - Germany
Created in 2009, the Oudolf garden is set within the 64-acre landscape of this health spa resort, designed as an English landscape garden. In 2017, a walk-in maze sculpture, “Kopf und Körper Bad Driburg”, by artist Michael Sailstorfer was installed at its core.
For more information, visit graeflicher-park.de/
Vandalorum - Sweden
A public garden surrounding an art and design museum in Värnamo, Sweden, masterplanned by Piet and still a work in progress. The front of the museum was the first area to be developed, with 26,000 perennials, 47,000 bulbs and 7,000 trees and shrubs. Serpentine gravel pathways mean that no matter where you park, your journey to the museum entrance takes you through planting. Central to the museum buildings, and visible from the restaurant and reception, is the bowl-shaped Courtyard, the second phase to be completed from Piet’s masterplan. It showcases a further 8,000 perennials and 10,000 bulbs.
Open 10am – 4pm; days vary throughout the year Admission Free (for the gardens)
For more information, visit vandalorum.se
Hauser & Wirth - Illa del Rei - Menorca, Spain
Hauser & Wirth Menorca is an art centre combining art, education and conservation on the island of Illa del Rei in Mahon harbour. Hauser & Wirth repurposed the existing 18th century outbuildings of a naval hospital, and commissioned Piet Oudolf to design the garden near the gallery. The planting is inspired by the flora on the island and includes native perennials and Mediterranean shrubs, giving it a different feel to many of his other gardens.
Open Check website for opening times from spring 2027. Admission Free (boat from Mahon harbour)
For more information, visit menorca.hauserwirth.com
Asia
Piet Oudolf Garden Tokyo - Japan
Piet's first garden in Japan, the Piet Oudolf Garden Tokyo can be found in the Hana-Biyori botanic park - affiliated with the amusement park Yomiuriland. 'Hana' in Japanese means 'flower' and 'biyori' means 'weather', 'sky' or 'fine weather' - so the botanic park's name refers to the idea that every day is perfect for viewing flowers.
Open Daily, 10am - 8.30pm Admission From 2,000 JPY
For more informaton, visit yomiuriland.com
Hoes-Oudolf Ulsan Garden - Korea
The city of Ulsan in South Korea is home to the Taehwagang National Garden - in 2019 the gardeners there approached landscape architect Bart Hoes about developing a garden. He saw the potential of the site immediately and brought Piet on board - together they developed the space which now welcomes visitors year round with immersive planting.
For opening times and admission info, visit lightone.kr
